Hide and Seek
by UnstableDread
Summary: I'm a monster. People say that there's no such thing as being born evil, that one is made evil by the life around them, but I don't belive that. From the very beginning I was cursed to suffer, and make everyone else suffer too. (May be changed to M in later chapters.)
1. Introduction

**I do not own the Justice League, though Cassie is my OC, and there may be future OC's as well. Rated T for future scenes that younger readers may find disturbing.**

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"Mommy look, the Flash!"

Cassie stared out the car window and tried desperately to roll it down, pressing on the button and thoroughly angry when it wouldn't slide open so she could reach out and wave at the speedster, but her mother always had it locked. Eight year olds could get annoying with the windows sometimes. The crimson blur was weaving between vehicles, acting casual and occasionally conversing with any driver that bothered to roll down their windows and shout a greeting. Cassie frowned, her shiny black pig tails bouncing on her head as she reached up and tapped on the glass as hard as she could. Her mother didn't seem to mind as she looked through the rear view mirror and flashed a brief smile. Cassie nearly leapt with glee as the hero swerved towards her, but her stupid seatbelt kept her from rising more than a few inches. Finally, it seemed her mother had gotten the idea, and the window slowly began to slide down to emit powerful winds into the blue Impala.

"Hey kid, whatchu up too?" He questioned brightly as he ran level with her door, grinning broadly. Flash enjoyed interacting with kids, particularly the young ones. They made him hopeful for the future, and their innocent, childish tones voices sent his head spinning with pleasant, and usually amused thoughts. He couldn't imagine why someone wouldn't like kids, they truly brought joy to the heart. As he waited for an answer, Flash took the time to hastily look at the girl. She wore the usual, common jeans and a loose-fitting wool shirt that was pink in color. Her face was clean and had not a single scar, and her eyes shone a bright blue, glittering with an excitement she didn't even try to contain. It was clear in her voice as she spoke, reaching toward the window with a giggle. He brushed her fingertips ever so tenderly, insisting that she keep the fragile limb inside the vehicle, and so she promptly pulled it back.

"My name is Cassie, and me and my mommy are going to the mall for shopping! I like shopping! Do you like shopping? We should shop together! ooh can we, please? Pretty please? Mommy, can Flash come to the mall with us?" Her gaze momentarily flickered to the long, dark-haired woman steering the low riding car, stretching forward in her seat and waving her hands all about. The Flash chuckled at how quickly she had reacted, and just how cute it was as she flailed around with delight. He figured he could spare some shopping time, at the moment, no one was stirring up trouble. In fact, the only thing he had gotten in the past few days were your normal robbers and such. Central City had been unusually silent. Perhaps, if he were more paranoid, Wally would have suspected that some mastermind in a cape was plotting against him with an evil smile and a black cat that really enjoyed being stroked in a sinister fashion.

"Cassie? That's a sweet name, what about Cas, can I call you Cas?" He asked lightly. They were turning into the mall now, as the car slowed, so did he. Cassie looked at him curiously, as if he had said something a weirdo would or something. "Of course!" She practically squealed. "That's my nickname!" Alright, so he would call her Cas now. That was cool. "As a matter of fact, I do like to shop, and if it's okay with your mommy, then sure, I'll go to the mall with you." He answered, and she repeated the question to her mother, who hadn't yet had any chance at all to speak. "Of course, Flash can go shopping with us." She agreed. She didn't worry much about him being a perv or anything around her daughter. _Everyone _knew Flash, he would never do such a terrible thing, although the tight suite could go, it either made girls really uneasy, or really eager to ditch their boyfriends. Of course, she for one, would do no such thing to her husband, who was now at work in Keystone city as a detective. Cassie giggled at her luck, she was going to go shopping with Flash! _The_ Flash!

They rode around the lot until Flash pointed out a decent spot to park ahead, and she pulled in to bring the Impala to a stop. As soon as the doors unlocked, Cassie was unbuckling herself, clumsy with excitement, and struggled to push open the door. "Careful, you might hit the other car." Flash advised, and he swung the car door open himself, putting himself between it and the gleaming black truck they had parked beside, reaching over to take up Cassie's hand and help her from the car, waiting until she moved out of the way before closing the door, careful not to slam it. Cassie's mother was waiting close by, and her daughter skipped close, but ignored the outstretched hand. "I wanna hold Flash's hand!" She declared loudly. A few people in the lot looked, waved, and continued on their way, chattering to whoever they were with. Flash was a popular site in the city, and he often spent his time with its citizens. Seeing him out shopping or eating lunch with people who wanted to spend time with him was not a rare sight at all. Flash chuckled and took hold of Cassie's hand, and she clasped his tightly as they walked on. Her mother had taught her the dangers of the street, and though she wasn't particularly worried with Flash at her side, she had been taught not to be reckless.

They entered the mall, and were immediately assailed by the delicious smells of the nearby food court, the sound of a hundred conversations and the splashing of a large fountain in the center of the massive building they had entered. The lighting was relaxingly dark, the floors painted a calm blue and gray color, the ceiling stretching high above their heads and supporting sun lights, that let the warmth stream down into the structure. "I wanna cookie!" Cassie announced, unable to resist the delicious scents that danced all around her, making her mouth water. "Okay, then let's go there first." Her mother answered, and they made their way towards the food court with happy expressions. The number one word they heard on their way there was "Flash", but that was expected. A few people walked close to try to strike up a conversation with the hero, and most of those people were young woman, who always seemed so awkward, and children, who were too delighted to be shy. They reached the food court and stared out at the masses until they found their shop, Great American Cookies, the number one store you could ever dream of in the mall, if you were a cookie lover, of course. "Smells delicious." Flash was practically licking his lips. If Bats had been around, he'd probably be begging the older man for a big wad of cash right now to practically buy out the entire place, and there was no doubt he would, but unfortunately, Wally wasn't rich. At all.

There was a line, but it was short, and within a few minutes they were standing at the counter and staring down at the baked treats with eager smiles. "I'll pay for yours, Flash, just tell them what you want." Cassie's mother offered, but Flash shook his head. "Oh, I've got cash, I'll pay fo-" She interrupted him, pulling out some money from her purse. "To late, I've already got out the green, and I don't want to have to put it back." She said. Cassie harshly poked the glass with a finger. "I want chocolate chip!" She decided. Flash frowned. He didn't like the idea of someone else paying for his food, it made him feel guilty, but the expression on the woman's face told him that, no matter what, she wouldn't change her mind. "At least let me pay you back." He finally agreed, but she shook her head. "You already have." She replied, pointing at Cassie. "You've given her such a great day, she'll remember this forever." Wow, she was really persistent. "Alright, well, I'll take a small chocolate chip cookie as well." He sighed. At least he could keep her from spending too much money on him. "By the way, I never got your name." He didn't want to have to refer to her as mom anymore, that was rather weird.

"Sabrina, call me Sabrina, and just so you know, hot-shot, you're not tricking me like that." She turned back to the man at the register and gestured toward the cookies. "Two small chocolate chip cookies and four large." She handed him the cash and looked back at a very surprised Flash. "That's not what I wanted! I mean, I, uh, I'm glad but, that was totally not necessary!" He complained. Cassie looked up at him with a frown. "You don't like cookies?" She asked as her mother grabbed the bags and headed for an empty table. "Oh please, don't play that with me." Sabrina replied, taking a seat in one of the hard chairs the mall offered and placing the bags of cookies on the gray flecked table top. Flash and Cassie took a seat beside each other, and Sabrina handed the two bags of large cookies to Flash while she pulled out the two smaller chocolate chip from the third bag, keeping one for herself and handing one to Cassie, who devoured it eagerly. "Well, thanks." Flash removed the four cookies from the bags and tried to maintain his manners around the two girls, but it was clear he was hungry. Really hungry. If no one else had been around, he would have stuffed himself, literally.

"No problem, I enjoy seeing my girl have such a good time. Your one in a million, Flash, not many guys are like you." Sabrina complimented with a smile. Wally blushed behind his mask. Sweet. He had heard those same words from more than one person, though Superman was the first man who came to mind. It was true, there weren't many men out there that shared such qualities as those he possessed, but that didn't mean there still wasn't a pretty fair number out there. "Thanks, you two are great. I'm glad I chose to come with you guys. What should we do next, Cas?" He looked toward her, chomping into his second cookie and savoring the flavor, of course, Cassie had already eaten hers, and now she swiped away clingy brown crumbs with a hand. "How about the toy store? I need new toys!" She offered, and Flash looked toward Sabrina questioningly. "Alright." She agreed. "Flash, finish your cookies, we don't have all day." Teasing. She was definitely teasing, he could see it in her sly smirk. Wally felt a poke in his ribs and looked down to see Cassie beaming up at him. "Slow poke!" She laughed.

Then it happened, the explosion shook the building, flames rising into the air as concrete crumbled and metal creaked. In less than a second Flash was on his feet, the chair falling with a crash to the floor behind him. "Get Cassie out of here!" He ordered. Now he was serious, whatever had caused that explosion was a definite threat, and the fire was spreading. He rushed towards it, swerving around fleeing civilians and encouraging them as he went, approaching the roaring flames and immediately thrusting out his hands, rotating them at an immense speed to create two large vortexes that attacked the blaze, blowing it into a few small tongues of hot orange. Nearby, he spotted a fire extinguisher, and sprinted toward it, snatching it up and returning to the shrunken fire to try to drown out whatever was left. Lucky that he had gotten to it in time, or things could have gotten horribly out of control. But it wasn't over yet, there were people injured by the fire, some crying out, some eerily silent. He heard approaching sirens, and knew they would be rescued, but he wanted to get the most critically injured out as quickly as possible.

Three of the victims were dead, their bodies scorched and unrecognizable. Flash felt a great sadness, but he knew he had to stay focused, and find the cause of their deaths. The other five people were injured, two so badly that they could hardly move, the others limping around, disoriented, and trying to find their way through the thick black smoke. He coughed as he approached the fallen two and nearly slipped in a puddle of still warm blood. The man he had approached was in shock, and lucky for him. His right leg was gone, blown off from the explosion, and splintered bone protruded from mangled flesh. Wally wanted to puke, but he managed not to, looking up in relief as he heard voices. "Anyone over there?" It was the call of a firefighter through the smoke. "Over here!" Flash called, and the medical teams made their way to his position. Flash looked at the crippled man again and realized just how lucky he was that he was even alive, but he hardly had time to consider it as he heard more screams on the complete opposite side of the mall. Confident the firefighters and medics could handle the current situation, he rushed off to investigate, and wished he hadn't.

Apparently, he had been right about a criminal mastermind plotting his demise, or everyone's, to be exact. Another explosion shook the structure, and he now had the nagging suspicion that the place might be rigged with explosives. He had to get everyone out. By the time he reached the location of the new fire, most of it had died down, thanks to the teams of firefighters that flooded the mall. But there were no survivors here, six people, dead, and with no way to help them. That's when he noticed the pair of familiar frames standing through the plumes of suffocating grey, they staggered around as if confused, the smaller body tugged around by the larger. Flash rushed toward them and dragged the two over his shoulder as he swept past, clearing them of the building in a matter of seconds and depositing the two in the parking lot. "We were trying to get out, when that happened. The flames never reached us, but we were so scared." Sabrina was sobbing, and Cassie, at her side, was wide-eyed, but oddly calm. Flash kneeled down in front of her to study her face. "Hey Cas, you okay?" He asked softly. A tear slid onto her cheek, and Flash wrapped her in a sympathetic hug before rising to face her mother.

"I'm so sorry, I put everyone in there in danger. It's my fault they died, I have to find out who did this." Wally avoided her gaze in shame, expecting to be yelled at for putting her and Cas in so much danger, but she didn't blame him. "It could have happened anywhere, just because you were at the mall didn't mean it was targeted because of you. Whoever did this probably didn't even know you were in there, it was probably just one of their targets. Don't blame yourself." Sabrina smiled grimly before turning away, her eyes dark. "I'm taking Cassie home." She informed, and they walked off with Cassie turning to wave in a silent goodbye. Flash tried to smile as he waved back at her, wanting to reassure the girl, and she smiled back, more successfully then she had. Cassie was to young to understand exactly what had happened, but she did know that whatever it was, it hadn't been good. "I'm sorry." Flash murmured again before turning back to the grief and fear-stricken scene. As much as he hated to admit it, there were more important things to do. People needed his help, and if there were more fires, they needed to be put out. With his fake smile twisting into another frown, he whirled to zip off, back into the mall.


	2. Modern Life

**So the word count issue was fixed, and that's good because it makes the story seem even longer now! Yay! Anyway, yeah...I don't own the Justice League but...I wish it was real...all those sexy heroes.**

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_6 years later..._

She sat in her bland room, walls painted a light, calming purple, perfectly square, not counting the miniature closet, and relatively small, but cozy. There was only one window, and it had no blinds, letting in streams of bright, warming sunlight. It consisted of little furniture, a tv, a bed, a bookshelf, and a dresser, and like the room, the young teenager was also nothing from the ordinary. She wore plain blue jeans and a black shirt with peace and heart signs that hardly reflected her personality. But in all the casualness of her appearance and room, there was something strange, something not often seen by anyone, and it was a secret jealously, as well as fearfully guarded. From a hand that she held just inches from her face, elbow propped on her knee, a small flame danced upon her fingertips, a vivid orange. But the heat didn't seem to bother the girl as she twisted her wrist this way and that, eyes set upon the magnificent display of light and warmth. It had been three years ago when she had first discovered this unique power of hers, when she sat on her bed, grounded for punching a fellow school student in the shoulder after he had deliberately insulted her appearance and family. Cassie had been angry that her parents had not understood, everything seemed to be her fault now, especially since her smaller, four-year old brother had been born. The blaze had erupted unexpectantly, from her it seemed, but luckily, there had been no damage.

Ever since then, she had worked with it, and finally, managed to summon a small flame from her own will. but nothing more. Though she continued her self-induced training secretly, there was always the fear of what would happen should her inhuman ability be discovered. Cassie never knew where she had got the power, surely she hadn't been born with it? Perhaps her family were more different than she knew, and it was something she thought of a lot. Asking them would be a logical choice, but Cassie was a stubborn girl, and she kept to herself. The fact that _she _could be the only one different was a dreaded one. It would only make all those insults about her being and ugly freak at school all the more painful. She'd never done anything to be called a freak, but rumors did fly, and most without the slightest hint of truth to them. So what if they didn't like how she looked, her father would tell her as she came home with tear streaked cheeks. It hadn't been her fault to have been born like that, so why couldn't they understand that she couldn't help it? That she had never had the chance to be born with a perfect face, and that her parents were not rich enough to buy her extravagant clothes. Cassie frowned as she thought about it, the flame leaping with a sudden, angry intensity as her emotions darkened. The only people who had ever called her beautiful were her parents, and the Flash. When the hero had been off visiting the Central City schools to inspire the students, he had caught her being bullied in the hallway. Of course he had been swift about snapping at the kid, he had also been equally fast at reassuring her in the same tone her father often did.

Though she hadn't admitted it, the fact that Flash had complimented her was far more effective than the thought of her father doing so. For once, someone who was not in her family had told her she was an exceptional young woman, which planted a lot more trust with him than anyone else. When your parents told you that you were beautiful, you often thought it was because you were their child, but when someone who wasn't tied to you in such a way complimented you, there was always a different, warmer feeling there. Of course, the feeling had been gone the next day when the same boy decided the pick on her about the incident, claiming that she loved Flash, and teasing her about "her hero coming to her rescue." He had claimed that his words had been salted, lies, and that no one would ever think she was beautiful. Her hair had split ends, she wore the same clothes every week, the same jacket in the Winter, the same dirty shoes and that backpack that was so heavy it was practically falling apart. Now all she needed were a pair of nerdy glasses and a lot more freckles, oh and why not throw in a humongous Adam's Apple? That would surely gain her some popularity. Now the flame in her hand flickered wildly, darkening in color and giving off a greater heat. Cassie realized that she was starting to lose control of it and willed it away with a blink of her glimmering eyes. She was just a kid, why couldn't everyone just give her a break?

There was a knock at her door, a clumsy, very annoying knock, and she immediately knew who it was. Her brother, Ethan, the biggest package of annoyance that you could get, and of course, Cassie ignored it. The door opened anyway, her four-year old brother poking his head in with that absurd little smile, innocent blue gaze flicking curiously about the room before he finally decided to speak in a shrill voice that really made Cassie want to shove him in a closet, cruelly. But if she seriously imagined it, she realized that the thought of loosing Ethan disturbed her greatly. Strange, how sibling bonds worked. "Mommy says hurry up, the bus is coming!" He snapped at her, glaring childishly. She stood and snatched her bag from the bed with a sigh. She had been so focused on trying to master the flame that she had lost track of time. Eight on the dot and the bus was rumbling down her street to stop occasionally at a few houses. She pushed passed her irritated little brother and slung her heavy bag over an aching shoulder to shamble out the door and make a rush for the edge of the road. Luckily, the bus driver saw her and screeched to a stop, and she sauntered quickly toward it, climbing up the steps of the yellow vehicle to stare at the filled seats with a huff. As usual, she would have to stand. No one would bother squashing her in with them anyway, and so she moved towards the middle and grabbed hold of the top of the seats to hold tight as the bus took off again. It would only be about ten minutes before they reached the school anyway.

The ride to the middle school was rough, thanks to her burning shoulder as a result to an over weighted bag. Of course she was thankful when they reached the large structure, and the students filed off the bus and beneath the overhang with idle chatter, slipping boredly into the school. Cassie wondered which classes they had, since she hardly knew any of them. As far as she knew, they all hated her. She set off toward her own class, Science, and was nearly tardy as the bell rang just as she sat down. They hardly did anything more than notes in Biology, and it was terribly easy. For those reasons, Cassie never paid attention. She was passing the class with a seventy something and that was good enough for her. Instead she leaned back in her chair, as usual, and propped her knees on the desk to settle back her head and close her eyes, slipping into an imaginary state and conjuring up entertaining images and questions that would toy her mind for hours if she allowed them too. Mostly, she thought of Flash, and how much she enjoyed seeing him zoom through the city, as well as how much she missed when he would swing around to visit her when she was younger, after the trip to the mall. The first few times, it was to be sure she was okay, but when she asked him to return, it would always be because she requested it. Then, gradually, he grew more and more busy, and eventually, stopped seeing her all together. Of course, she had been older then, and took it more easilly then she would have at her eight year old self, but it had still hurt, pretty bad. He had always had so many good stories to tell. Now she hardly saw him, and that was only at a distance, but when she did, she longed to hear his voice.

Cassie had never really understood the feeling of wholeness he gave her, but she knew that she liked it, that if she would, she would throw herself into his arms and beg him to hold her because she simply enjoyed his touch that much. Most girls fell for him because he was a hero, mysterious in his unrevealing costume. But after practically growing up around him, Cassie had found herself not caring for those things, even forgetting them at the sight of Flash. She liked him for his one in a million personality. It wasn't really a "OMG I GOT SUCH A LOVE CRUSH ON YOU!" Sort of thing, but more of a friendly, "I feel secure in your presence," best friend kind of deal that you didn't often form with others of a sperate gender. She would never actually find him anything more than cute because of their age difference, but as a friend, he was the best you could wish for. But how could you continue to trust someone you hardly ever saw? The bell rang, that was it. She'd been thinking of Flash the entire time, and it hardly seemed like an hour and a half had passed, but that seemed to be how time worked these days. It passed without warning. She grabbed her stuff and left, heading for the one class she was failing. Math. But of course, that would be the time when the biggest bully of all arrived, the one that had stuck with her for years. The one she had thought about just that woman.

"Hey look everyone, it's the walking freak show! She even looks like she could run the place!" He pointed at her with a light of sadistic joy igniting his hazel eyes, a cruel smile plastered across his gaunt face. Cassie frowned at him and ignored the insult, but that didn't seem to work with him. He put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Don't touch me!" She snapped, jerking away, but he just grabbed at her again, this time by the wrist and spinning her around to face him. His other hand rose to grope a boob, and she tried to jerk away again. "Hey, it's okay, what you look like on the outside doesn't matter as much as what you look like on the inside! But we havent seen that yet, because you refuse to show it. So I guess I'll just have to make you!" He chuckled and peeled away a sleeve. _Not here! _In that moment, she felt herself slammed back against the lockers and tried to cry out, but his lips locked around hers and she could hardly move. Her parents had told her that, when they were kids, immature stuff like this had never happened, but at her school, where drugs and weapons were prominent, in a building shared by high schoolers, and might even be considered a Junior high, since the lowest grade was seventh, her grade. Cassie balled up a fist with a glare and slammed it into his stomach, and he stumbled back with an air of surprise before regaining his footage and staring intensely at her. "Fine, guess I'll have to catch you after school then." He shrugged casually, though Cassie was satisfied that the stupid smile had been wiped from his face, there was also a sudden cold rush of fear at his threatening words. _No you won't._ She decided as he walked off.

immediately, Cassie put on her sick face as she usually did when the bullying got a little too much for her and made her way to the nurse with a moan. Mrs. Callwell stared down at her sympathetically and gave a small smile. "What's wrong, dear?" She asked soothingly, and Cassie looked up at her with a lithe arm wrapped around her stomach. "I feel miserable." She answered. "My knees are weak, I'm having horrible heat and cold flashes, and my stomach feels so gasy." She complained, giving a shiver. The nurse nodded. "You want to call home, then?" She asked, and Cassie nodded as she took a seat and the nurse handed her the phone. She punched in her mother's number, since it was Thursday and she would be off, and was relieved when she answered. "Mom? I'm sick, I need you to come pick me up." She made her voice sickly. "You're at the nurse?" She asked through the phone, and Cassie answered with a yes. "Than hand her the phone, I want to talk to her." Cassie handed the nurse the phone and waited while they discussed the problem. Finally the nurse hung up and looked at her softly. "She'll be here in about ten minutes." She informed. Cassie nodded and left, headed toward the office to wait and glad when she finally walked in to check her out. Looked like her plan had worked, she was going home.


	3. Uncontrollable

**So, I've been really busy lately and I haven't really had time to update. No, I haven't lost interest, how could I? Though, some reviews might help. ;) Oh and...I don't own the Justice League but...if I did I'd be making another season for the cartoon... :( So this chapter is a bit short because I was short on time, but, I'll try to do better the next chapter... **

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The ride home was relatively silent and uneventful. Cassie frowned the entire way. slumped back in her seat, arms crossed, eyes closed as she thought about the events today. She noticed her mother glancing at her through the mirror occasionally, but she avoided the gaze as if it were poisoned. It felt as if there was a furnace, growing within her chest and threatening to melt her insides, to explode like a compressed core and finally gain some release. A smokey smell filled the air, and she twitched in discomfort. "Mom?" She asked lightly, wondering if she'd noticed. "Yeah, I know hun, the car has really been acting up lately huh?" Cassie could tell she was trying to change the mood, lighten it up, but it didn't work. Cassie sighed as she looked out the window, trying to calm herself, to stop the flow of molten within her veins. Some of the heat in her eyes left, but not all, it was still there, boiling with rage, and with fear. He'd touched her like that before, yet never so boldly, his eyes like that of a predator. Always, they had been so daring, but never so dark, never so hateful. There was a look on his face that could only be deciphered as one of malice and frightening intent. The thought made her shiver, and want nothing more the protection against the threat. The fire returned, and she could hardly suppress it. How dare he?

"Cas, babe, you okay?" Her mother again, a hint of worry in her voice. Cassie understood, she'd be worried too, heck, she was worried, but she knew what was going on. Her mother didn't, it was a whole different matter. "Yea, mom, I'm fine, okay? I just need a little rest." She assured. They pulled into the driveway and left the vehicle without a sound, walking into the building with sluggish movements. Cassie's mother was still worried. Why wouldn't she be? immediately, Cassie went to her room, leaping on to her bed and burying her face in the door. It took a moment before she remembered to close the door, so she picked herself up with a groan to go do so. When she looked back, she had to stop herself from screaming. Her pillow was black, the white fabric crusty and burnt, sparks of flame dancing along her comforter. "Oh shit." Cassie rushed to put it out, but with every hit, the fire flared higher. Her hands burned, though not with pain, red as embers as they glowed with eerie light. Smoke rose into the air, the fire grew and threatened to overtake her, yet there was no pain as they licked her flesh, only a feeling of strength to mask that of dread. No! How could she have allowed herself to get so out of control? Was she so scared, so angry, that this was beyond her control anymore?

"Mom! Fire!" It streaked up the wall with a deafening roar, her scream shrill as she tried to be heard over it. Though the fire had no effect on her own skin, she knew her mother would no be so invulnerable, and the smoke that rose still choked her, still filled her mouth with a sick taste, suffocating her. The flames surrounded her now, and she ducked low towards the ground, trying to get more air. "Cassie!" Her mother called loudly, trying to get into the room, but the fire pushed her back, slapping her face in horrid burns and she screamed. Fire didn't spread this quickly, did it? How could it have gotten so intense in the span of a few seconds unless it was being fed? Cassie frowned as she gazed at the deadly fascination around her, it circulated her form like a flickering vortex, and then she understood. She was the food, the build of the flame that was no longer hers to control. She had created it, somehow, in her fear and anger, it had burst from her emotions to flare in a deadly revenge. She ducked beneath her arms as the air thickened with black, obscuring her view. She couldn't get out, but if she could breathe, she'd be fine. The world might wonder how, in the end, she emerged with not a burn, but then, they'd wonder that anyway, if she had suffocated. Her mother was still panicking, she could hear her, not wanting to leave without her daughter, yet knowing if she didn't she'd be prey for the inferno. The whole building groaned and she was terrified, and her daughter was trapped with no escape.

Cassie was tucked into a ball, trying to shield her mouth and nose with her hands. She could hear sirens, loud and clear over the flame. Perhaps she could make up a convincing story, about why the flames hadn't touched her, yes, somehow. Yet the entire room was engulfed, except for a few places, like where she huddled now, in a corner, trying to conserve her oxygen. Just because she had powers didn't mean she didn't need to breathe. She was human, as far as she knew, or hoped. Her mother was gone, or dead, the thought made her nauseous. Of course she wasn't, she'd gotten out, she was smarter than that, right? Yet somehow, somewhere, she could still hear her name being called, a distant sound as her mind slipped from lack of air, all fuzzy and heavy so that she could hardly hold it up, filled with nothing but a strange buzzing and the feeling that her brain might explode. It could have been her mother, screaming from the outside and firefighters peeling at the room, trying desperately to reach her, but the building grew more and more unstable with the second. It would collapse, her beneath it. Did she have the powers to survive that too? It didn't seem like it.

In a last effort to raise her head, she detected a shadow among the flames and rubble, flicking through the smoke, and the sound of her name again. Was she hallucinating? Her eyes closed and she gave a weak cough, it was all she could manage in trying to find help. When she tried to take in a breath, she found she couldn't, there was nothing to take in, nothing to fill her aching lungs. And so she suffered, struggling, yet unable to find the strength to move. Then firm hands grasped her, hauling her up and against something warm and sweaty. Her body was cradled, and it felt as if she were moving, a sudden, bright light piercing her eye lids, yet even when cool air washed over her face, she couldn't find the strength to breath, as if her body had forgotten the instinct. Through the slightest crack in her lid as she gave one last effort, she saw it, the lightning bold stitched into the center of a red chest. She felt something solid as she was layed out, there was nothing more to see. More hands touched her, gripped her, hasty and desperate sounds distant within her mind as something was pressed against her face. It still seemed as if she were moving, though she layed flat now. Was it a dream?

The suddenly, an explosion, of senses and feeling, of light and sound, her head pounded in a sudden agony that made her call out in the pain and then, breath. She took it in and gulped it down, her eyes fluttering open to see the blurred world around her, paramedics and firefighters, her mother, fighting to reach her as Flash and others tried to constrain her without further harm. She looked bad, real bad, her clothing torn and scorched, her skin scarred forever. exhausted, Cassie closed her eyes again, unable to speak out, to reassure her mother and tell her not to fight, to let the paramedics help. It was all she wanted, and the last thought she had before darkness took her vision, and she fell into a fitful sleep of clouds.

Her eyes fluttered open, red and burning. Her head felt like an anchor, heck, might as well have been. The only sound was that of a steady, reoccurring beep to her left, light from a window fluttering in past curtains to her right. She laid there for a minute before, with a deep breath, mustered the strength to look around. She was in a hospital room, alone, her former clothes, tattered from the flames, replaced with a light gown, and she frowned. Oh how she hated hospitals, the cold feeling and the stale scent. She heard the click of a door and glanced back up at the doctor who approached. "Your awake." He stated, relieved. Uh, duh? "Where's my mom?" Cassie immediately asked. He gazed at her grimly, yet not so much that it scared her. "You were lucky, the fire never seemed to touch you, just some lung problems, and, your head might be a little fuzzy for a while, but nothing too lasting. Your mother is the opposite, she got burned pretty bad, but thanks to Flash, she'll be fine in a few days." He answered, adjusting something to the side that she couldn't see. "You can leave tomorrow, if you have anywhere to go." He said, but Cassie shook her head slightly. "No other place." She frowned and closed her eyes in despair.

It was all her fault. She had caused the fire, left her emotions unchecked. Now her mother was paying for it and they'd lost everything. If only she had been born normal, not a freak. It would have been different. Cassie wondered where they would go now. The closest relative was her grandmother, but she lived in Gotham, and her mother hated Gotham. Said it was a dangerous place where your more likely to get raped and killed then you are to get mugged. Not good factors. There were also a lot more villains there, not the more casual rogues of Central, but hardcore, terrifyingly insane, real villains that wouldn't wait to watch your suffer for their own amusement. Yet, it didn't seem as if there was any other choice, where else could they go? There was no one else nearby. Her uncle lived in Bludhaven, but in terms of corruption, that city was said to be even worse than Gotham, and her uncle had never been a really nice guy. The sound of the door brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked up and noticed the doctor had been replaced with someone else.

"Dad?" She asked in surprise. He came close and tucked his hand in hers with a frown. "Your mother isn't taking visitors now, God, are you okay?" He asked. She nodded, staring at him. "You left work to come here?" She asked, and he nodded quickly. "Of course I did!" He exclaimed. Why would she think otherwise? "Listen, you guys will be getting outta here soon, okay? I promise. We're going to move now to Gran's house until we can get settled enough to buy here again." He explained. She'd been right, they were going to Gotham, and Cassie frowned. "Mother doesn't like that place." She replied, but her father only shook his head. "We don't have a choice, I've already called her, she'll be here tomorrow and we'll drive back down to Gotham as soon as your mom is recovered." That settled it. If they didn't die here they were gonna die there. Great. The only thing Gotham brought was depression, there was nothing else. How her grandmother even lived there at all was beyond her. Poor people didn't get very far in that city, not that her grandmother was poor, but then, she wasn't wealthy either. "Get some rest, I'm going to go see if they'll let me see your mother now." He said soothingly, brushing her cheek. Cassie nodded at him. "Okay, dad." She answered, turning her head to rest and eventually, fall asleep once more.

* * *

**Well, I hope it wasn't that bad, god I'm tired. Anyway, decided there should be a bit more action in this chapter, but no worry, the drama will begin next! And no...it isn't what your thinking. :D Heck...I might even end the next chapter with a cliff hanger just because I like being evil...**


	4. Gotham

Fresh air, she really loved it. Cassie grinned, it was good to be out of the hospital. The only problem was, they were going to Gotham, where she knew the air wouldn't be so fresh as it was in Central City. She looked back at her mother and frowned, realizing how bad she still looked. She had to remind herself that the looks were deceiving, her mother wasn't as bad as she seemed. Her eyes looked so distant now, and she leaned on her husband as if blind to the world. Depressed by the scene, Cassie turned back to follow her grandmother to the car, and hopped inside without complaint, despite her annoyance. Her mother slid in beside her, gripping the seat tightly, and Gran took the wheel out front. She expected her father to get in too, but he waved from the window and smiled. Then Cassie remembered he would be taking own car. No reason to leave it behind, they had already lost everything else. The car started, and she sat back with a frown, closing her eyes and reminding herself to relax. She was already guilty of burning their house down, destroying everything they owned, and traumatizing her own mother.

"Hey, sis, scoot!" Cassie looked up at her little brother, tucked in his car seat on the other side of the back seat. He had been at school during the accident, lucky. He wasn't old enough to understand just how bad things were now, but he did understand how to annoy his sister. She dreaded the long drive with nothing interesting to recover busy, and prayed her brother would fall asleep and stay asleep. Being in the car with him was worse than being stuck in a buggy with an elephant, of course, she may have been a bit dramatic there. It didn't take long and they were moving, and despite already knowing most of the city for herself, Cassie entertained herself by staring mindlessly out the window, until finally, her head propped on the door, took her behind closed lids.

She awoke to multiple, irritating pokes in the shoulder, and found the car shrouded in warm shadow. Cassie slapped her brother's hand away with a huff and found they were parked. In delight, she leapt from her seat belt and out the car to stretch her aching muscles in cool air, though the smell was rather foul. Above her, the night was menacing and barren of starlight. Even the moon had to fight for its place as city light threatened to assault it. Skyscrapers bathed her in their shadow, and surrounded by the tall buildings, the air was eerily still. The others shared her uneasy feeling, besides Gran, but she didn't count, since she lived here. Cassie turned her attention to the tall apartments she'd be staying at for a while and sighed. They looked so gothic. "Guys, I think I'll meet you inside. I want to explore the block." Cassie announced. Her mother immediately protested, though it was unusually weak. Her grandmother grinned reassuringly and nodded. "Go ahead, it's perfectly safe. This block is swarming with cops, and I take late night walks myself sometimes. You know where to go?" Gran asked nicely. Cassie nodded.

Despite what her mother thought, she turned away to walk from the lot and stepped onto the side-walk, taking a right. Her hands stroked her arms in a personal hug, helping to relieve a bit of the chill that crept into her skin. Of course, she couldn't enjoy silence, the city was alive even in darkness. It was suprising that no one bothered her while she walked, but she couldn't help but feel she was being watch. It was probably the buildings, they gave off a freaky impression. Then came the alley, and Cassie couldn't help but feel cautious as she walked past, increasing her pace until her legs were a blur, even as she tried to maintain a casual composure. Alert, she decided it was time to head back, preferably the way she came. The path ahead looked dangerously dark. When she turned, however, a sudden gust of misplaced wind stroked her face, and Cassie shivered, pausing in step, ready to bolt. From the alley she had passed, a new shadow had appeared, and she could have sworn a pair of narrowed eyes raked across her features with frightening intensity.

Fear shot through her veins, and panicked, she froze, waiting for some sort of sign of danger. There was no way she was going back, the path was menacing, but the alley even more so. Cassie was stuck, her eyes locked on the predator that stalked her from the shadows. She felt as if her heart could be heard by the whole world as it pounded against her chest. She could feel it, a sort of pride that rose from the invisible body, and then it was gone. But not those nightmarish eyes, they studied her like prey, and she truly felt like it, trapped in a hole and waiting for the killer bite. But it never came, the eyes never moved. Maybe she was hallucinating, perhaps her fear of Gotham was getting the best of her. The eyes didn't waver. She felt herself agreeing herself, if only to ease the fear, and inched forward with all the effort she had. It got easier as she moved along, and the shadow never moved. She began to feel a little more trusting when it didn't pounce at her, and her breathing came more easily.

In a few minutes, she was passed, and she didn't look back. She was scared it would be following her, and she'd rather not know. Cassie raced to the apartments, rushing up the stairs and bursting inside, slamming the door shut behind her. Her grandmother looked up and frowned. "Did someone try to hurt you?" Guilt immediately shook her features, and Cassie gave a shaky but reassuring smile. "No, I just got spooked." She answered, walking up to give Gran a hug. "I think I'll head to bed for now." She said, planting a kiss on her cheek and slipping away from her hug. Cassie moved into the hall, Her parents would be staying in the living room, her brother on a cot. That meant she got the extra. Cassie plopped down on her bed and breathed in relief, wrapping herself in thick blankets. Her frightening ordeal had her forgetting about the fire, and everything else, and soon she had her eyes closed, and despite the eyes that glared back at her in the darkness, sleep soon found her.


End file.
